Dianthus plant named &#39; Cherry Vanilla&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and unique plant cultivar of perennial carnation or pinks,  Dianthus  plant named ‘Cherry Vanilla’ with numerous, large, fully-double, lightly-fragrant flowers producing a rounded full face of velvety-red flowers. The flowers cover top to bottom of clump on well-branched stems having up to 4 flowers per stem. Petals have fine serrations, a velvety red coloration with fine speckling and margin of light pink. The plant is compact with long, thin, grey-green foliage.

Botanical denomination: Dianthus hybrid.

Cultivar designation: ‘Cherry Vanilla’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the new and distinct cultivar ofcarnation or pinks from the genus Dianthus and given the cultivar name‘Cherry Vanilla’. The new plant was the result of an intentional crosson May 14, 2012 under the direction of the inventor between Dianthus ‘WPPassion’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,440 as the female or seed parent and‘Valda Isolde’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,915 (known by the tradename ofFancy Kickers) as the male or pollen parent. The cross was harvested andsown on Jul. 2, 2012. The new hybrid was first isolated from trials at awholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. during the summer of 2013as a single seedling clone and given the breeder number 12-64-1 later inthe evaluation processes. Dianthus ‘Cherry Vanilla’ has been asexuallypropagated at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich. since 2013 usingtraditional shoot tip cutting procedures and found to reproduce plantsthat are identical and exhibit all the characteristics of the originalplant.

No plants of Dianthus ‘Cherry Vanilla’ have been sold in this country,or anywhere in the world, under this or any name, prior to the filing ofthis application, nor has any disclosure of the new plant been madeprior to the filing of this application with the exception of that whichwas disclosed or sold within one year of the filing of this applicationand was either derived directly or indirectly from the inventor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Dianthus ‘Cherry Vanilla’ has not been evaluated under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations inenvironment including: growing temperature, available sunlight,nutrients, water, etc. without a change in the genotype of the plant.

Compared to the new plant, the female parent, ‘WP Passion’, the newplant has deep red flowers with a light pink picotee petal margin ratherthan solid red. Compared with ‘Cherry Vanilla’, the male parent, ‘FancyKnickers’, has nearly solid white flower petals with a small touch ofred near the base. The nearest comparison cultivars known to theinventor are: ‘Coral Reef’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,660, ‘PomegranateKiss’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,895, ‘Black Cherry Wild’ U.S. Plant Pat.No. 21,893 and ‘Black Cherry Frost’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,605. Theflower of ‘Coral Reef’ is primarily a lighter reddish coral color and ithas fewer petals than the new plant. Compared with ‘Pomegranate Kiss’,the new plant has a more uniform and wider, light-pink, picotee marginand more petals per flower. Compared with ‘Black Cherry Wild’, the newplant has larger flowers with more petals. Compared with ‘Black CherryFrost’, the new plant has more petals, larger flowers and the picoteemargin is lighter pink.

Dianthus ‘Cherry Vanilla’ is distinct from its parents and all otherDianthus known to the applicant in the following combined traits:

-   -   1. Fully-double flowers opening up with a full and rounded face.    -   2. Petals having a velvety red coloration with faint speckling        of medium pink,    -   3. Petal margin of very light pink.    -   4. Multiple flowers per stiff, upright peduncle.    -   5. Large flower size producing a lightly-sweet spicy fragrance.    -   6. Flower coverage top to bottom of clump, vigorous, with        compact habit and finely-textured gray-green foliage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the new invention are of a two-year-old plant grownin full-sun trial garden and demonstrate the overall appearance of theplant including the unique traits. The colors are as accurate asreasonably possible with color reproductions. Some slight variation ofcolor may occur as a result of lighting quality, intensity, wavelength,direction or reflection.

FIG. 1 s a close-up of the flowers and buds.

FIG. 2 shows the habit of the plant in mid-season flowering.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following detailed description of the new plant is based onobservations of one-year-old plants in greenhouse-grown containers inaddition to two-year-old plants in full-sun trial garden at a nursery inZeeland, Mich. with supplemental watering, light additions of fertilizerand free of other plant growth regulators. All color usage is inaccordance with the 2001 edition of The Royal Horticultural Colour Chartexcept where common dictionary terms are used.

-   Botanical classification: Dianthus hybrid;-   Parentage: ‘WP Passion’ as the female or seed parent and ‘Fancy    Knickers’ as the male or pollen parent;-   Plant habit: caespitose, herbaceous, evergreen, winter-hardy    perennial; stems and peduncles branched, mostly erect stems; height    of foliage about 13.0 cm and about 24.0 cm across; height in flower    is about 17.0 cm;    -   -   Root system.—fine, fibrous; color nearest RHS 155D.        -   Vigor.—good, spring planted plugs finish in 3.8 liter pots            in seven to eight weeks.-   Foliage:    -   -   Leaf type.—simple, linear, opposite, decussate, sessile,            glabrous, strongly glaucous to pruinose both adaxial and            abaxial; margin entire to microscopically serrulate; acute            apex; base decurrent, adpressed along stem and slightly            perfoliate; no fragrance detected; curvature absent; cross            section in longitudinal center nearly flat.        -   Leaf dimensions.—to about 9.0 cm long and about 4.5 mm wide,            average about 7.5 cm long and 4.0 mm wide.        -   Leaf color.—young expanding leaves abaxial nearest RHS N138B            and adaxial between RHS N138B and RHS 138A; mature adaxial            and abaxial blend between RHS N138A and RHS 122A.        -   Venation.—not pronounced; obscurely pinnate, coloration same            as that of leaf top and bottom.-   Stems: upright; terete, glabrous, glaucous, branching at alternate    nodes; solid; about 22 stems per plant;    -   -   Stem size.—about 3.0 cm long to peduncle and about 4.0 mm            wide at base.        -   Stem color.—nearest RHS 122A.        -   Branching.—numerous; typically alternate, from upper and            lower nodes; about 10 per main stem and about 220 per plant;            branch size average about 3.0 cm at time of initial            flowering.        -   Nodes.—about 3.0 mm across; color nearest RHS 145D.        -   Internodes.—about 11 per stem before peduncle; average about            5.0 mm apart depending on growing temperature, shorter in            cooler conditions; thickness medium.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—terminal, cymose; perfect; salverform; actinomophic;            double.        -   Attitude.—upright to slightly outward around perimeter of            plant.        -   Dimension.—about 4.8 cm across and extending about 4.0 cm            above base of calyx tube.        -   Flowers per stem.—average three.        -   Pedicel.—glaucous, glabrous, terete, stiff.        -   Pedicel size.—terminal flower about 2.0 mm long and about            2.0 mm diameter; other flowers average about 5.0 mm long and            1.5 mm diameter.        -   Pedicel color.—nearest RHS 138B.        -   Flower bud.—slowly opening; glabrous; glaucous; with calyx            still closed: ellipsoid with rounded base and acute apex,            about 2.2 cm long and 1.0 cm across at distal fusion point            of sepals; with petals extended beyond calyx and still            parallel to calyx side: terete, with rounded base and            truncate apex or petal tops, about 3.1 cm long and 1.1 cm            across at distal fusion point of sepals.        -   Flower bud color.—with petals enclosed in calyx distally            nearest RHS 137B and proximally between RHS 144A and RHS            N144C; with petals extended beyond calyx petal portion            proximally lighter than RHS 155D, distally nearest RHS 62D            with blush of RHS 61A.        -   Flower period.—beginning late spring and continuing for up            to six weeks; individual flowers effective about 7 to 10            days.        -   Flower fragrance.—light, sweet spicy, clove-like.        -   Flower lasting quality.—about six to ten days on or cut from            plant.        -   Petals.—glabrous; up to about 66 per flower; consisting of a            rounded blade or limb and a claw; limb and claw combined are            flabellate; apex and margin with fine, irregular, shallow            dentations typically between 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm deep; limb            bent outwardly in distal 15.0 mm to nearly a ninety degree            angle creating a full rounded face; limb to about 20.0 mm            across, average about 17.0 mm across; claw tapering to            attenuate base about 0.3 mm across; whole petal to about            37.0 mm long, average about 34.0 mm long; persistent;            undulations typically weak in outer petals and weak to            folded in inner petals.        -   Petal color.—abaxial claw base nearest RHS 145D, mid-claw            nearest RHS 145C, distal claw lighter than RHS N155B;            abaxial limb base lighter than RHS N155B, distal limb blend            between RHS 61A and RHS 60C with white overtone, distal            margin nearest RHS 62C; adaxial claw base nearest RHS 155A,            mid-claw nearest RHS 145D, distal claw nearest RHS NN155B;            adaxial limb main portion blend between RHS 60A and RHS 59B,            limb margin nearest RHS 62C and minute speckles in main            portion between between RHS 63C and RHS 64D, and limb base            nearest RHS N155B.        -   Petal dimension.—overall to about 37.0 cm long, average            about 35.0 mm long; to about 20.0 mm across at widest            portion of limb, average about 17.0 mm across; claw to about            0.3 m wide at base and about 22.0 mm long, average about            22.0 mm long; lighter colored limb margin about 1.2 mm wide            and speckles in main limb portion average 1.0 mm diameter.        -   Calyx.—glabrous; glaucous abaxial; margins entire to            micro-puberulent; consisting of five sepals with acute apex            and fused base forming five-toothed corolla tube fused in            about proximal 16.0 mm; individually about 20.0 mm long and            about 9.0 mm across at distal fusion; campanulate to about            20.0 mm long and about 13.0 mm in diameter at apex.        -   Calyx color.—abaxial distal portion nearest RHS 135A and            proximally nearest RHS 144B with marginal 1.0 mm translucent            to nearest RHS 161D and nearest RHS 165C at the apex;            adaxial basal two-thirds lighter than RHS 138D, apical            one-third nearest RHS 138B and margin translucent to nearest            161D and nearest RHS 165C at apex.        -   Peduncle.—glabrous, glaucous, terete, stiff; about 10.0 cm            long and about 3.0 mm diameter at base; attitude mostly            upright.        -   Peduncle color.—nearest RHS 122A.        -   Epicalyx.—two pairs; opposite, glaucous, glabrous; sessile,            margin entire, broadly lanceolate with broadly acute apex            and cuneate base; outer pair about 10.0 mm long and about            7.0 mm wide, inner pair about 8.5 mm long and about 6.5 mm            across.        -   Epicalyx color.—both pairs abaxial and adaxial distal            portion nearest RHS 135A and proximally between RHS 138A and            RHS 138B, margin translucent to nearest RHS 145D.        -   Androecium.—variable number between zero and seven stamens,            typically not all fully formed, to some staminode petals or            without anther. Filaments: when present to about 22.0 mm            long, about 0.5 mm diameter; color white, lighter than RHS            155D. Anther: when present oblong, dorsifixed; about 2.5 mm            long and about 0.7 mm wide; color with longitudinal portions            nearest RHS 198C and RHS201A. Pollen not observed.        -   Gynoecium.—single. Style: trifurcate just above ovary;            glabrous abaxial and becoming puberulent in adaxial distal            one-third. Pistil: adaxial puberulent, glabrous abaxial;            distally curved over 360 degrees in distal 10.0 mm; about            30.0 mm long and 1.0 mm diameter; color proximally and            abaxial white, lighter than RHS 155D, and distally becoming            nearest RHS 64A on adaxial side. Stigma: slightly flattened            abaxial to adaxial; puberulent; about 1.0 cm long and 1.0 mm            wide; color nearest RHS 64A. Ovary: superior;            ellipsoid-shaped with broadly acute apex and truncate base.            about 8.0 mm long and 5.0 mm wide; surface smooth; color            nearest RHS 145B distally and RHS 4D proximally.-   Fruit and seed: not observed; possibly sterile or recalcitrant;-   Disease resistance: The new plant is resistance to center die out    from fungus or high temperatures. The plant grows best with adequate    moisture and well-drained soil, but is able to tolerate some drought    once established. Hardiness at least from USDA zone 4 through zone    9.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Dianthus plant named ‘Cherry Vanilla’ essentially as herein described and illustrated. 